Villerest is a commune in the Loire department in central France. It is a Medieval-era commune located just South of the city of Roanne. The village is bordered by the Loire and contains Le Barrage de Villerest, a hydroelectric dam that also prevents flooding along the Loire. This dam also creates a man made lake, the Lac de Villerest. The village itself contains many buildings from the Middle Ages. These include numerous houses, and the Eglise de Saint-Priest.